Writing for how People Read Online

Volunteer Centers and nonprofits use a variety of ways to get the word out to the community about their need for volunteers, and the specific volunteer jobs that they would like to fill. Many nonprofits use the media to spread the word, or create a flyer/brochure, or post something online.

While the basic message can be the same for those three mediums (marketing collateral, press releases, online posting) the way the content is written must change.

Writing for Press
For instance, when sending a press release to a reporter, the subject line becomes of utmost importance. Reporters are busy people and get sent hundreds of emails every day, so if your email subject line is not enticing, and if there is an attached press release, they will delete the email without even reading your message.

If the subject line IS enticing, then they you need to be able to answer the question "why should I care?" in the first sentence of your email. This requires a bit of word smithing.

Writing for Online Postings
So how should you change your writing style if you are going to post that information online? You will want to:

• Use key word phrases that you think summarize your posting
• Keep content short by using more paragraphs than you would in a written document.
• Use headings, bold, and bullets to draw the online reader's eye to the "actionable" spots of your website.

To learn more about writing for the web, feel free to check out these online articles:

• Jakob Nielson's writing for the web article (the expert on website usability)
• Another great article about writing on the web from Dartmouth

Writing An Engaging & SEO Friendly Volunteer Opportunity

How much time do you spend in writing your volunteer title and job description before posting it in 1-800-Volunteer.org?

A well written description is 100 times more effective in recruiting volunteers for two reasons.

1. A volunteer opportunity description and title that uses keyword phrases that a potential volunteer might use to describe the job is 100% more effective, because search engines are computers - they match the keyword phrases that are input into their search boxes with keywords used on the page. Your description and title are just that - words on the page. So don't use the word "docent". That's a term used by our industry, not necessarily volunteers. Use words like "museum guide" or "museum educator" instead. Not sure which keyword phrase people are using to search for this type of opportunity? Use a free online tool like Wordtracker to see the numbers of folks who have searched using those words.

2. Make your description detailed and enticing. If you're not sure how to describe the job, then take a look at our taxonomy document located in the "Resources & Training" section of your 1-800-Volunteer.org account. We've created descriptions for all volunteer jobs possible. Take our generic description, and edit it in such a way that it motivates them to respond and moves them to action. Make sure to include all the details about materials they need to bring, background checks they might need, etc.

It's a new world when it comes to posting volunteer opportunities online. Make sure to think keyword phrases - described how you think your volunteers might describe the job. Without keeping keywords phrases in mind, your volunteer opportunities might never be found, and your community's critical needs might go unmet.